Constellations
by Kawaii Stephy Desu
Summary: Star Guardian AU. Occurs after "Starfall" (cannon) and alongside "Supernova". Ahri worries that Ezreal may be getting too close to Lux. That newbie, Lux, will inevitably be the death of Ezreal. Isn't that right, team? Team? Explore how Ahri's overprotectiveness tears her team apart in this short story.
1. Prologue: A Word of Advice

**A/N:** First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who read _Supernova_ , my first fanfiction. This story takes place alongside _Supernova_ 's plot, but it can be read as a free-standing work of literature as well. Due to a busy schedule, chapters may take much longer to be released in comparison to _Supernova_. Here's a little teaser to keep you guys occupied. Comments and reviews are welcome. Enjoy!

 **Prologue: A Word of Advice**

"Ezreal, Soraka, come here." A firm hand pats the living room couch, motioning where to sit. The soft cushions muffle out the sound. Two young Star Guardians, Ezreal and Soraka, take a seat next to each other and listen attentively. "Listen carefully because this is important." Folded hands hint at the seriousness of the coming lesson.

"In the beginning, there was nothing but First Star. She had immense power and wisdom. Any attribute of strength you can name, she possessed. All, but one. More than anything, First Star craved company. So, she divided her power to create everything - the planets, stars, galaxy, and humans. She loved the humans dearly because they possessed a unique ability - the ability to love. But for every good, there is a bad. First Star also created voidlings, which as you know, attack humans. Consequently, she blessed the most courageous humans with immense power. She crowned them Star Guardians, those who are destined to protect the humans."

"But we know that already," Ezreal whines. He kicks his feet up onto the coffee table and leans back.

"Feet off the table," a hiss replies. "Let me finish." Ezreal quickly puts his feet back down and straightens up.

"Guardians pass on First Star's legend as if she were some hero. In reality, she's just as cruel as the voidlings she's created. She forced destiny on us, but humans are free to choose their own. How is that fair? Don't think that protecting humans is your top priority. It's not. If you feel like you're in any danger, run. Run even if people will die. Think about it this way: only we can protect humans. If we're lost, then humans are lost. So, if you're going to protect humans at all, protect yourselves first.

"Sounds a little selfish…," Ezreal mumbles. He rubs his hands together uncomfortably. Soraka pouts, but pays close attention.

"We're without parents, but that doesn't mean we don't have families. You two are a part of our family. Therefore, I ask that you trust me. I'm telling you this for your own good. Family first, humans second."

...

"That was harsh, Ahri," Sarah whispers as Ahri passes her in the hallway. Ezreal and Soraka stay in the living room to think over Ahri's words. "Reality is too cruel for them."

"I'm trying to protect them. If they live their lives thinking Destiny is absolute, then they'll end up like... _them_."

The two share a moment of silence.

"I'd easily throw everything away to keep you all safe," Ahri sighs.

"Their dreams aren't yours to throw."


	2. Chapter 1: Making New Friends

**A/N:** Originally, I planned to release Chapter 1 later when I could get a larger head start on other chapters...but it just felt weird leaving a 500 word prologue up on its own! So here's Chapter 1 for you all to enjoy.

 **Chapter 1: Making Friends**

Astronomy Club meetings are held on Fridays during school lunch break. Aside from days where stargazing trips are planned out, there's not much to say. However, none of that matters when all the club's leaders are extremely popular. Even when there is little to discuss, swarms of schoolmates come to visit the club room.

In Syndra's opinion, it's annoying. The boys who chase after her are pitiful. " _Syndra, you're so beautiful_ ," she remembers one boy stating. Bold. Bold, but stupid. Syndra knows she's beautiful. She doesn't need some boy to "reassure her" like Ezreal put it. " _Syndra, I brought you a bouquet of roses_ ," another boy once said. " _Of all things, you proclaim your love with a flower? Flowers wilt and die. What is a bouquet of roses good for? Watching the flowers die slowly together? Even a rock would've been a better gift._ " Syndra cycles through her memories while even more men swoon over her. She yawns and looks over the boy who is kneeling before her.

As usual, Ahri, Sarah, and Soraka are all surrounded by their respective fan clubs. In particular, Ahri's swarm is taking up majority of the room.

"Mmmm, not the tail." Ahri swishes her tail away from a grabby hand. Ahri fakes an adorable giggle and Syndra rolls her eyes. Ahri's fan club goes wild. Ahri looks around the club room and locks eyes with Syndra.

"Hey, Syndra," Ahri calls from across the room. "Have you seen Ezreal?"

"I'm not his babysitter," Syndra replies cooly. She raises an eyebrow at Ahri.

"So, have you you?"

"He's in the hall."

"Thank you." Ahri motions for the crowd to part and starts heading down the hall.

Ahri wanders around with her fan club on her heels. A large group of girls is cluttered around the classroom doors. " _Must be Ezreal's playthings_ ," Ahri thought. She finds the nearest girl and taps her shoulder. "Hey, have you seen Ezreal?" The girl squeals after realizing Ahri is addressing her. "H-He's talking with some pink haired girl," she stammers.

Ahri clenches her teeth at her reply. Fearing that she angered Ahri, the girl blurts out "They're by the corner over there." She points in a general direction and promptly takes her leave.

"Sarah!" Ahri storms into the club room. "Could you tell Ezreal that I want to have a talk with him?" she asks.

Sarah sighs. "Can't you just let Lux and him talk?"

"You knew about this?" Ahri growls.

"Well, yeah. There's no reason to stop them."

"Can you please just go get him? I'll be in the usual spot."

"Fine."

Ahri walked down the hall and quickly turned the corner. The boys behind her followed. "Wait, where'd she go?" the leader of the pack asked.

Ahri breathed a sigh of relief. Hiding in the janitor's closet is the only place she can get away from crazed fans.

* * *

Sarah told her fan club to scram while she walked down the hall to fetch Ezreal.

"...If you ever need help, just call us and we'll be there faster than a rocket," Sarah managed to hear Ezreal say as she approached. " _Ahri wouldn't like to hear that_ ," she thought to herself.

"And who are you to be volunteering the assistance of your allies?" Sarah slams her hand on Ezreal's shoulder threateningly. Ezreal nearly jumps up in terror.

"Oh. Hey, Sarah," he blurts out. "I sure am popular today. Need something?"

"Hello, uh.. Miss Fortune." Lux gives a nervous, but friendly wave. Lux is nice, but first name basis is reserved for her friends only.

"Hello, Lux. Sorry, Ahri just wants to have a word with Ezreal before lunch ends. Can your chat continue later?" she mutters. Sarah starts pulling Ezreal by the elbow before Lux can say anything. It's nothing personal. Ahri is just a pain to deal with once she's upset.

"Sarah, what the heck?" Ezreal protests.

"Don't give me that. You know how Ahri feels about you talking to Lux," Sarah snarls.

"Can't you talk to her about it?"

Miss Fortune sighs. "You know how stubborn she is."

"Please?" Ezreal begs.

"Charm doesn't work on me. I'll think about it though." Sarah takes a quick glance into the club room. "HEY! WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Ezreal takes a look inside as well.

An upperclassman holds Soraka's arm uncomfortably with one hand while the other hand strokes her ear. Two more upperclassmen surround the pair, preventing Soraka from escaping.

Soraka flattens her ears against her head as much as possible. She shudders at the unwelcome touch.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!" Miss Fortune yells. The man pulls his hands off Soraka in shock. Soraka immediately runs off and hides behind Sarah.

Miss Fortune glowers at the men. "You filthy pigs." She would beat them up and spit on their mangled bodies if the thought of expulsion wasn't holding her back.

"If I ever see you near Soraka again, I'll beat your faces black and blue," she threatened.

"Hah. Yeah, whatever." The boys knew that her threat was empty. "Come on, boys. Plenty of better girls around anyways." Miss Fortune held herself back from punching their faces in and watched as they left the room. " _They're not worth it,_ " she told herself.

"Soraka, are you okay?" she asked as she wrapped an arm around Soraka. Soraka gently nodded her head. "I know you hate when people touch your ears. If you don't like it, tell them to stop it." Soraka nuzzled against Miss Fortune's side. She knew Sarah would baby her. "You know I can't always protect you. You need to learn how to speak up for yourself," she sighed.

"Don't worry, Raka." Ezreal lays a comforting palm on Soraka's shoulder. "I'll take care of them later." He cracks his knuckles.

" _You_ , prettyboy? No," Sarah mocks. "Now go see Ahri. I'll stay here in case those boys come back again."

"By myself?" Ezreal gulps.

"Obviously. What? Do you need me to hold your hand too?"

"No."

"Then, go."

Ezreal groans and starts heading down the hall. He makes sure no one is following him before he slips into the janitor's room.

"You called?" Ezreal jokes. He turns around to face Ahri. She folds her arms crossly.

"I heard you were talking to Lux again."

"Yeah."

"What were you talking about?"

"She just wanted to thank us for helping her with the voidlings last Tuesday."

Ahri sighed sadly as let go of her anger for a moment. "You know how I feel about Lux," she said.

"I know, but…"

"Ezreal, we can't be there to help her team every time. You're putting the rest of us in unnecessary danger."

"I still don't get what that has to do with me talking to her."

"A lot, actually. Listen, if you get too attached then,..."

"Then?" Ezreal awaits for Ahri's answer curiously.

" _Then you'll be caught up in one of Lux's poorly thought out plans_ ," Ahri thought to herself. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her family _again_. "Then she'll become too dependent on us," Ahri lied. She racked her brain for a sensible explanation. "She uhh… needs room to grow as a leader. We're not part of her team, so she should learn to factor in the possibility that we're busy and can't help."

"We could combine teams though," Ezreal suggested. His eyes lit up at the idea.

"No," Ahri said rather harshly. She noticed it herself and quickly changed tone. "Ten guardians on a team is too many. It's hard to coordinate that many people. Plus, there's strength in having two separate teams. We can take care of different locations at the same time. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah. I guess."

"Good. Now unless it's ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, I don't think we should interfere with Lux's team. They do their thing. We do ours. Okay?"

Ezreal raises an eyebrow. "Okay."

The school bell rings, signaling the end of lunch. Ahri gives Ezreal a friendly pat on the back. "Come on. Let's get to class."

Ahri and Ezreal stick their heads out of the janitor closet carefully to make sure no one discovers the team's secret meeting place. No one seems to notice, so they leave for their classroom.


	3. Chapter 2: Necessity

**Chapter 2: Necessity**

Miss Fortune rests her head in her arms during class. " _How can Soraka stay so interested_?" she wondered. Soraka was focusing solely on the blackboard. " _She can_ _ **magically** __heal injuries. Why would she ever need to pay attention in health class?_ " Nevertheless, Sarah was impressed by her dedication to all subjects health related. She turns to her right to see what Ahri is doing.

Ahri's usually composed face is mangled with uneasiness. She fidgets with her pen before jotting down some ineligible notes. The scribbles appear out of place on the pristine composition book.

"How did the talk with Ezreal go?" Sarah asks casually. It seems like Ahri was waiting to be questioned about the conversation because she immediately responds with, "Not good."

Sarah shifts her position to prop her face on the palm of her hand. "Why?" she presses.

"He just keeps getting closer to Lux."

"So?"

He's going to get killed one day helping her."

"You're worrying too much."

"Not enough, clearly."

"Look, maybe Ezreal liking Lux is just a phase. You know he likes toying with girls."

Ahri sighs. "Yeah, maybe you're right." She pauses. "But what if it's not?"

"Oh, boy…" Sarah mentally prepares herself.

"He's a Guardian. She's a guardian. Maybe she'll stick. Who knows?"

"Who cares?" Miss Fortune sighs tiredly. "I think they look cute together and she makes Ezreal happy. Don't you want Ezreal to be happy?"

"Well, of course," Ahri responds offendedly. "I just want him to be safe too."

A loud thump disrupts their conversation. The two jump at the sound of a heavy textbook hitting the teacher's desk at the front. "Ahem," the teacher clears her throat. "Sarah, Ahri, is there something you two would like to share with the class?" Blushes creep up on Sarah and Ahri's faces.

"Uh. No, maam," Sarah responds.

"Well then," the teacher continues. "Do you two even know where we are? How about you answer the question on the board?"

Miss Fortune looks to the board. There's no way she can guess the answer. Sarah glances at Soraka for the answer. Soraka stares back then blinks as if trying to convey a message. " _Not helping!_ "

* * *

Late at night, Soraka kneeled on the rug in the center of her room. The moonlight bathed her in its light, renewing her energy. She named off the stars to her favorite constellation. She was so engrossed in her hobby, she failed to hear Ahri walk in.

"Stargazing again?" Ahri asked. Soraka jolted upright and turned around. " _Uh oh. I'm up past bedtime,_ " she thought. Soraka dipped her head down.

"You know you shouldn't be up this late," Ahri kneeled on the rug with her precious teammate and gave her a hug. "Come on. Off to bed."

Soraka pouted and gave her a slightly defiant look that Ahri interpreted as, "But you're up!"

"Sarah told me about what happened at school," Ahri confessed. I was just so worried about you. Soraka could sense the sincerity in Ahri's voice, but she knew that what happened wasn't Ahri's only concern.

Soraka's ears perked slightly and she looked off into the distance. Soraka said nothing but Ahri could already tell what was wrong. "An invasion?" she asked. Soraka nodded. A few moments later, Ahri could sense it as well. Ahri made no motion to rouse the rest of the team from their slumber.

"Guys, get up!" Ezreal shouted from the hall. "There's people to save!"

"Weren't you asleep?" Ahri yelled back?

"Uhhh," Ezreal paused. "Y-Yeah. The feeling just woke me up!" Ahri found it hard to believe considering Ezreal's heavy sleeping habits. Ezreal ran to Sarah and Syndra's room to wake them. Syndra groaned.

* * *

Small clusters of voidlings were sprinkled around the city. The team split into three groups to wipe them out systematically. They regroup to take out larger monsters.

"Good work, team." Ahri encourages them. Soraka throws down her Starcall at the center of the area. Sure enough, a rift open and monsters pour out only to be bopped on the head by the weak attack. The monsters barely have time to react before being mowed down by Miss Fortune's waves of bullets. More voidlings appear nearby, only to be taken down the moment they spawn. Soraka guided the team through the city with her extrasensory perception.

"Who's next?" Ezreal asked as he blasted a hole through two voidlings. "They can't even touch us!"

"You can thank Soraka later," Syndra called from above. One of her Multi crashes down and crushes a large horde of Spitters. With one smooth motion, Syndra pushes the Multi forwards like a bowling ball. The monsters drop like pins.

As the team progresses throughout the city, they notice that the monsters get progressively more vicious.

"Ah," Miss Fortune hisses as a tiny voidlings nips her arm. She flings it across the field and Ezreal snipes it while in midair. Soraka promptly heals her ally. Overall the team sustained minor injuries. The only exception being Ezreal nearly eaten whole by an enormous titan of a monster. Luckily, Syndra smacked the giant's jaws away with a Multi to the face.

"Hmph. Not bad. I'd say we got an A rank clear at least," Ahri joked.

"A rank? That was flawless. We should've gotten a S," Ezreal plays along.

"Not when you almost became that thing's midnight snack!"

"Whatever." Ezreal looks around at the damage. Some cracked walls and concrete, some scratched equipment, burnt grass…nothing too serious. The worst is just a broken hydrant. "I sensed a lot more monsters up ahead, but their numbers keep fluctuating. Lux's team must be there." Ezreal prepares to run off.

"Wait, Ezreal!" Ahri called. "Remember what I said earlier?"

"Come on, Ahri. We're done here. There's a bunch of monsters there that keep spawning."

" _Which is precisely why I don't want you to go_ ," Ahri thought. "No. They have it under control."

"Okay, fine. But can I go watch the fight from afar?" Ezreal pleaded.

"No."

"You said we shouldn't always help, you didn't say I couldn't watch," he complained.

"What? Are you five?" Ahri stood her ground. Ezreal's pleading eyes bore into her. He seems determined to see Lux, so Ahri decides on going with him. If Ezreal is going, then the team should make sure he comes back unharmed. "Fine. But we're just watching. Got it?"

"Yes!" Ezreal ran as fast as he could towards the heart of the city. Ahri sighed. The rest of the team followed the two as they ran towards Valoran Park.

* * *

As Ezreal runs closer to the park, he notices the damage increases. Buildings no longer have scratches on them. Instead, they have large gashes and scorched bits of plaster peeling off walls. To the left, Ezreal sees a gaping hole where acid has corroded away at a fence. He hears a rumbling from above and quickly reacts. A chunk of rubble cakes where he was once standing with a layer of dirt.

"What happened here?" he wondered out loud.

"This is some sloppy fighting," Ahri commented. She caught up next to him.

"No, we've seen them fight before. Lux would never let voidlings destroy the city." Ezreal scanned the area for any stragglers. No dead bodies. That's good. The rest of Ahri's team caught up with the two. Syndra in particular is breathing hard.

"Next time, I'm just flying," Syndra pants.

"No one said you had to run," Sarah replies. "It was barely even two miles."

"Barely?" Syndra repeated.

"Hey girls, there's a huge number of voidlings just a little further. Do you think Lux's team got cornered and had to run?"

Ahri observed the surroundings as well. " _What Ezreal said is plausible_ ," she thought.

"A large number of monsters?" Sarah muttered. She looked to Ahri for a reaction.

"A large number of monsters…," Ahri repeated quietly. " _No, it couldn't be…_ "

"I think they need our help." Ezreal starts running off again.

"Wait!" Ahri grabs Ezreal by the shirt collar and pulls him back. "It's not safe. Just let them be."

"It's not exactly safe for them either." He pulls away from Ahri just to be grabbed again.

"Let go." Ezreal demanded. We need to help them."

"We _need_ to get out of here." Ahri releases her hand, but warily keeps an eye on Ezreal in case plans to blink away.

"Why?" Ezreal looks back in Lux's direction nervously. He can't see them from his location, but he can sense something is wrong.

"I agree. Let's go," Sarah suddenly piped up. Her tone was bitter, laced with an underlying hate. Ahri knew instantly that they had come to the same conclusion. It would be wrong to rob Sarah of her chance for vengeance. Still, there were the rookies to worry about.

"Fine, we'll go. But if I think we're in any danger, we're all pulling out," Ahri huffed. "Soraka, stick close to Sarah okay?" If anything could hold Miss Fortune back, it would be her fondness for Soraka. "Ezreal, stay by me. Now let's go."

It isn't long till Team Ahri reaches the heart of the battle. The signs of ruin grow stronger with every step. Scorched earth, collapsed buildings, and blood all hint at the condition of Lux's team. A scream echos in the distance. " _I recognize that voice. Lulu!"_ Ahri's fear increases as they approach the scene.

Janna and Lulu are tossed like rag dolls in the midst of a horde of voidlings. The monsters rupture the ground and flail to get a piece of the fresh meat. The only thing stopping them is Poppy who is throwing her body's weight on them each time the voidlings' jaws try to snap closed. A well timed claw swats Poppy to the floor and she too joins her allies in the voidlings' deadly trampoline.

"NO!" Ezreal screams. He runs ahead of Ahri and quickly readies his gauntlet. Starlight gathers in the palm of his right hand and he fires it like an arrow. The wide projectile shimmers as it slices through the air. The the top halves of the monsters wordlessly slide down to the floor. Their lower halves topple over.

Ahri, Sarah, and Syndra quickly jump in to aid Ezreal by wiping out the remaining monsters. The clean-up is done within seconds.

Soraka runs to the nearest body and grabs their hand. She places her fingers on Lulu's wrist to check for a pulse. Sarah follows suit on Jinx's body. "She's alive," Miss Fortune gasps. Soraka runs to Poppy and tests her pulse as well.

"How about the others, Soraka?" Ahri asked. "Did they make it?" Soraka nods her head quickly. They survived, but just barely. A faint sensation like an open candle in the cold night calls out to Soraka a short distance away. " _Lux!_ "

Soraka runs directly towards Lux's mangled body. Lux is face down, her back is scorched black and still sizzling from the immense attack that struck her. No blood oozes out, but even if there was gore, Soraka wouldn't feel nauseous. " _There's lives to be saved_ ," she would tell herself. Soraka throws her hands above the wound and started healing Lux immediately. She pours her own star power into Lux's draining supply.

Ezreal is quick to respond. He runs towards Lux and dives into his knees. "Soraka, will she make it?" Soraka gives no indication to Ezreal. It's not a matter of concentration, but rather the fact that she's not too sure either. Ezreal nervously leaves Soraka to her healing. The suspense is killing him, but there's nothing he can do to help.


	4. Chapter 3: Outbursts

**A/N:** I actually wanted to add more content to this chapter, but I felt it was right to divide it into two chapters. This is partially because I wanted to emphasize on the chapter's ending and partially because I won't be able to post another chapter for a while. Hopefully this will entertain you until I can post Chapter 4.

 **Chapter 3: Outbursts**

"Sarah, Syndra," Ahri calls. "Help me find some first aid kits. Search the empty buildings." The two nod and split up.

Ahri frantically flies from skyscraper to skyscraper in order to find some medical kits. " _It's a miracle they're alive. If we had been any later, they would be stardust._ " Ahri snatches a roll of gauze from someone's pharmaceutical cabinet. " _Thank First Star we weren't caught up in that._ " She throws a different cabinet open. Nothing but cold medication. An image of Ezreal's distraught face tearing up at the sight of Lux's injuries came to mind. She shoved it out of her head. " _Better them than us. We should be glad we didn't get involved._ " She takes off back to the original site only to encounter Sarah on the way.

"It wasn't there…," Sarah trails off.

Ahri can tell how disheartened Sarah is feeling. "That may be a blessing," she comforts her. "You and Syndra may be ready to take on the Rift Herald, but Ezreal and Soraka aren't."

Sarah looked down in defeat. "You're right. They're not experienced enough."

They land together at the site. Syndra is already there, waiting for them.

"Did you find anything?" Ahri asked her.

"No," Syndra replied. Miss Fortune found this hard to believe.

"Here. I found a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a roll of gauze. We can share," Sarah offered.

"Hmph," Syndra grunted. "Hand it over."

Ahri, Sarah, and Syndra share the rubbing alcohol amongst themselves. Fresh blood oozes out of the many lacerations. They know Soraka's limits. Soraka won't be able to heal this many wounds. The best they can do is patch the small cuts.

"Ahri, what's wrong?" Sarah notices Ahri's haste. The gauze she applies is sloppy at best. "Do you need help stopping the bleeding?"

"S-sorry," Ahri mumbles. She undos the bandage and pressures the cut with a fresh bit of gauze. More self conscious, Ahri concentrates on properly bandaging Jinx's wounds. Sarah finishes quickly and moves on to bandaging Janna. Ahri finishes afterwards, allowing her some free time to think of the situation.

Soraka's breath is heavy by the time she has healed Lux's back. Ezreal runs over to the communal bottle of alcohol and tips some of its contents on some gauze. He runs back to Lux and wipes down her bloodied back. Soraka's healing leaves the surface unblemished as if nothing had happened.

Ezreal helps Soraka by turning Lux over. He cradles Lux's body, extremely mindful of touching her back although he knows the wound is gone. Soraka hovers her hands over Lux's stomach where more blood is pooling and resumes her healing.

After another five minutes of healing, Lux finally stirs. Ezreal holds Lux tighter against his chest. "She's awake," he says with relief.

"Ezreal, Soraka…" Lux mumbles. Blood clogs her throat. Ezreal holds on even tighter.

"You," growls Ahri. She folds her arms and clenches her teeth. "Is this what you call being a leader?" Lux is clearly still dazed and light headed. "What do you think you and your team of rookies are doing taking on a large horde of voidlings like that. Did you really think you guys could take them all on?"

Ahri swishes her tail agitatedly. "Being a Star Guardian isn't a joke. We exist to save the world. What good are you if you can't even save yourself? If you're going to do something stupid, do it alone. I shouldn't have to endanger my friends to pull your team out of the mess you made."

"Ahri...," Ezreal turns to glare at his leader. Annoyance is evident on his face.

"Where's my friends?" Lux manages to croak. Ahri couldn't care less at the moment and simply pointed in her teammate's direction. With visible effort, Lux cranes her neck to take a look. Her expression changes instantly to one of terror. The scene is too much for her fragile mindset and they way it hollows her out her soul is clear to Ahri. Lux pushes herself away from Ezreal and gasps. She looks like she's about to vomit, but she can't. She stays frozen, shaking, tears starting to bleed from her eyes. Empathy starts setting in Ahri's heart.

"They'll live," she said simply. She wanted to comfort Lux, but refused to let go of her pent up rage she had built during her lecture.

* * *

Ahri watched as Soraka went from person to person, healing all of their major wounds then going back to heal minor ones. " _She's improved,_ " she thought. " _Still hasn't improved her combat though."_ Soraka's own starlight is glowing dimly, a telltale sign that she has reached her limit. It's enough. There's no need to heal every injury. As far as Ahri is concerned, Soraka should've just left the wounds alone once she had sensed that their lives had been stabilized.

Ahri took a glance at Lux. She has been frozen since she had woken up. Occasionally, Lux would whimper and more tears would stream, but overall she was quiet. Ezreal sat silently by her side for comfort. The scene slightly irked Ahri for reasons she could not place.

"Let's get you guys back home. Can you fly?" Ahri asked Lux. Lux tried her best to suppress her feelings. "Yes," she simply replied.

* * *

Ezreal followed Lux closely as everyone flew back to Lux's home. Syndra and Sarah carried Poppy and Janna on their backs respectively while Ahri carried Jinx. Soraka trailed behind them slightly, carrying Lulu. Poppy regains consciousness on the flight home. Ahri can see that she and Syndra have started a side conversation.

Lux's hand is unsteady as she unlocks the door to the sorority home. "Where should we put them?" Syndra asks as soon as the team walks in. Poppy directs everyone to her teammate's bedrooms and helps Ahri's team with putting them to bed.

Poppy looks to Lux, expecting her to say something. After an awkward pause ensues, Poppy quickly blurts out words of thanks. "Thank you, guys for saving us," begins Poppy. "We're in your debt." Poppy slightly bows her head to Ahri's team. Lux follows suit.

Lux's attitude ticked Ahri off. "Don't expect us to come save you every time. I suggest you guys practice more or you'll end up as stardust." Poppy and Lux swallow the advice. Ahri promptly takes her leave.

"Lux, if you want to talk about it, I'm always here for you, Ahri overhears Ezreal say to Lux. A short pause ensues, fueling Ahri's anger. " _Just answer him already!_ " Ahri can feel her face twitch momentarily into a snarl.

"But if not, I'll just check up with you on Monday when class starts." Ezreal takes one sad last look at Lux before closing the door. He turns his attention to Ahri. "Why do hate her so much?" he growls at Ahri, careful so that Lux and Poppy don't overhear the conversation.

"What? I don't hate her." Ahri is shocked by Ezreal's accusation.

"You don't? What's up with your attitude then? Why did you yell at her the whole time?" Ezreal tries his best to keep his volume under control. He starts walking away from Lux's home to give Ahri and himself distance to speak freely.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Ahri pursues him, forcing the rest of the team to follow as well. "I'm just trying to teach her a lesson?" Ezreal stops in his tracks.

"Teach her a lesson?" he repeats. He turns back to face Ahri with tears beading his eyes. He clenches his fists tightly to subdue the rising concoction of of sadness and anger from bubbling to the surface.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?" Ahri challenges Ezreal. Uncertainty laces her voice as she realizes the tough stance she has to defend.

"Nevermind!" Ezreal yells as loudly as he can. The sudden outburst renders the entire team petrified for a long second. After the night's events, Ezreal couldn't believe he could feel his heart drop even further. Ahri proved him wrong.

"Tell me," Ahri demands irritatedly.

"What's the point?" Ezreal yells back. "You'd never understand."

"Oh, yeah?" Ahri plants a foot firmly on the ground and leans in. "Why don't you try me?"

"Because you'd never admit you were wrong anyways!"

Irritation overtakes Ahri. Without thought, Ahri throws out her hand to slap Ezreal.

* * *

The crisp sound of a hard slap resounds in the night. Soraka slowly opens her eyes and looks directly at Ahri with unwavering mental fortitude.

"S-Soraka," Ahri unconsciously gasps. The movement was quick, but her mind registered what happened before she could stop herself. Soraka ran between Ezreal and Ahri and pushed them both slightly back.

Soraka's pale skin is bright red from the slap. She makes no indication of her pain so that Ahri and Ezreal can focus on her words alone.

"Stop," Soraka says simply.

Every time the team is blessed enough to hear Soraka speak, they are all shocked by the depth reflected in her voice. Her voice is unexpectedly deep like the ocean - containing unexplored knowledge underneath the picturesque surface. The one word alone is enough to still the rough waters Ezreal and Ahri have hit.

Ahri looks down in shame. " _I was actually going to hit Ezreal….because I was angry_..."

" _Look what you did!_ " Ezreal is tempted to scream at Ahri. His shoulders droop as he releases some of his anger. " _You're lucky I want to honor Soraka's wishes._ "

"Let's go home," Ahri mumbles half heartedly. She takes off back towards the house without looking back.


	5. Chapter 4: Conflict of Interest

**A/N:** I apologize for the very long wait for this chapter. I had three back-to-back midterms to study for in addition to an upcoming essay that's due, so I hope you all understand. I'll try to motivate myself to write more during the short periods of free-time I have.

 **Chapter 4: Conflict of Interest**

Ahri flew in front of her team wordlessly. Ezreal sneaked a glance to see if Ahri would apologize or at least reason with him. She didn't, as expected. He decides that it is best to drop the subject. Knowing Ahri, she would pretend that he never screamed at her. Ezreal vowed would not be silenced next time, but it is hard to argue when Ahri won't fight back.

Meanwhile, Sarah trails at the end of the group. Although Ahri and Ezreal's spat concerned her, a different ally has her undivided attention.

Miss Fortune keeps a watchful eye on Soraka as she flies. Already, there is a large gap between the leading guardians and Soraka. Soraka beats her wings furiously to try and catch up with the group. She loses her balance and tips to one side for an instant. She quickly readjusts herself.

Ahri mulls over the night's events over in her head. " _I can't believe I almost hit Ezreal...I can't believe I almost hit Ezreal,_ " she repeats to herself. " _I would never hit him if it weren't for a good reason._ " Tears of denial well in her eyes.

Soraka!" Sarah yells. Ahri whips her head around Soraka's wings dematerialize and her Star Guardian outfit follows after. She screams as she nosedives towards the city below. Ezreal dives down to save her, but Sarah is faster. Miss Fortune catches Soraka in her arms and clutches her tightly to stop her from accelerating further downward.

"Don't worry. I got you," Sarah comforts her. Soraka shivers and whimpers in Miss Fortune's grasp. Ezreal dives down to take a look at the situation.

"Are you okay?" he asks. Soraka nods.

"She must've used up all her star power while healing," Sarah explains to Ezreal before turning her attention back to Soraka. "It's okay. I'll carry you back home. Why don't you just close your eyes?" Soraka pouts back. "What? It's not like you can fly anyways." Soraka's face softens into a frown and she gives Sarah an awkward hug to thank her. "Aww, you're welcome," Miss Fortune coos. Ezreal follows by Miss Fortune's side as she ascends to keep an eye on Soraka.

Ahri can't help but feel a little left out. " _How long has it since Soraka and Ezreal smiled while talking with me?_ " Ahri flies downwards to meet her allies. Ezreal's smile melts into annoyance. He flies to Sarah's opposite side to get away from Ahri.

Ahri flies alongside Syndra for the remainder of the trip. She looks back occasionally to check on Soraka's status.

Ezreal speaks nonsense to Soraka until her eyelids slowly give in to fatigue. Soraka is peacefully asleep by the time the team reaches home. Sarah tucks Soraka into bed and flicks off the light.

"What are you thinking about?" Sarah asks Ahri who is sitting on the living room couch. "Soraka and Ezreal are already in bed."

"It's not that," Ahri sighs sadly. "Do you think Soraka hates me?" Ahri dips her head down in shame.

"I can't believe you hit her."

"It was an accident."

"I can't believe you hit Ezreal."

"But I didn't."

"Only because you hit Soraka instead."

Ahri bites her tongue. Miss Fortune sighs in defeat. "I'm going to bed. You'd better apologize to them. Especially Soraka."

Ahri swallows hard. Apologizing is something she isn't familiar with. " _Apologizing to Soraka is a must_ ," she thinks. She waves off the idea of saying sorry to Ezreal and Lux. " _They were asking for it._ "

* * *

Sleep refuses to engulf Ahri that night as she lays in bed worrying about her teammates' perceptions of her. " _Is Soraka scared of me after what I did tonight? Maybe she always was. Is that why she doesn't smile but always listens to my instructions? What about Sarah and Ezreal? Do they secretly hate me? What should I do to get them to like me? Syndra said nothing the whole time. What are her thoughts of my actions tonight?"_

The hours go by slowly. Unable to find a comfortable position, she periodically tosses around. Eventually sunlight creeps in through the blinds." _No point in trying to sleep now_." She rises out of bed early to take a shower. Kiko, her pet star fox, is curled up comfortably in its bed. Ahri envies it for a moment before selecting a change of clothes.

Even after a cold shower, Ahri notes that she is still fairly drowsy after the night of restless sleep. With the excess time. She considers working on homework assignments, but can't motivate herself to begin. Instead, she camps at her favorite spot on the living room couch while waiting for the others to awake.

Soraka is the first guardian to wake up after Ahri. She wearily stumbles out of her room, her energy scarcely replenished after the exhausting night. She drags her fingers along the wall to balance herself, not trusting her tired eyes to coordinate her movements. Although she is perfectly aware of her condition, she bears in mind that that Ahri doesn't like when the team oversleeps, even on weekends. "A regular sleep schedule is important," Ahri always emphasizes. "Invasions can occur at any time, so it's important to be well rested." She is surprised to find Ahri sitting alone on the couch. Soraka pans her head around to look for the others. There's no sign of them.

"Still sleepy?" Ahri asks rhetorically. It takes a certain mood to get Soraka to speak. Soraka groggily blinks her eyes at Ahri. She doesn't need to speak to convey her exhaustion.

"I let the others sleep in today," Ahri explains. "You can go back to sleep too if you want," Ahri says reluctantly. If she is going to apologize to Soraka, now is the perfect opportunity. It's much too embarrassing to let anyone but the person she's addressing to hear. Soraka tilts her head in confusion at Ahri's strange behavior.

"Yesterday was exhausting, that's all."

Soraka yawns and takes a seat next to Ahri. She rests her head on Ahri's shoulder and closes her eyes. Ahri, in turn, rests her head on Soraka. They relax quietly together for a few minutes. " _I don't want to ever move."_ Eventually, guilt overcomes and Ahri she gathers up the courage to speak up.

"Hey, Soraka?" Soraka shifts around and moves her head away to meet Ahri's eyes. Her eyes look genuinely curious, unclouded by any negative emotions imparted by yesterday's events. The look of pure innocence pulls at Ahri's heart, making it even more difficult to speak without tearing up. "I-I-I'm really sorry about yesterday,"Ahri mumbles. She reaches out to pet Soraka, fearing that she'll pull back in fear of being hit. "Do you hate me?"

" _Huh?_ " Soraka continues to stare in confusion, wondering what compelled Ahri to bring up the subject. She snaps out of her trance upon noticing Ahri's hand inching forward. She leans in and allows Ahri to touch her head.

"I love you," Soraka reassures her. "We **all** love you." Ahri immediately pulls Soraka into a tight hug and starts crying. The sudden movement causes her muscles to tense up for a moment, but she quickly relaxes her body and allows Ahri to cry on her for the time being.

* * *

Sarah wakes up two hours later at around nine-thirty. She steps out into the living room and sees Ahri hugging Soraka on the couch. Soraka's eyes flicker at the slightest indication of Sarah's presence.

"Good morning," Sarah sits on the opposite side of Soraka and pets her head. Soraka leans towards the touch and gently pries herself free of Ahri's hold and rests on Miss Fortune instead.

"Good morning," Ahri echoes. She looks up and is taken aback by Sarah's intense glare. The fierce look is short lived though as Sarah looks down tenderly at Soraka.

"How are you doing today?" Miss Fortune pets Soraka's ears. "Did Ahri apologize for last night, yet?" Soraka nods eagerly, eliciting an eyebrow raise from Sarah. "Really, now?" She lets her grudge dissipate.

"Where's everyone else?" Sarah addresses Ahri.

"I let them sleep in today...since it's the weekend."

"Oh? That's different." Miss Fortune teases. Ahri picks up on the change from annoyance to playfulness in Sarah's voice.

"Of course you do. If I let you, you'd all stay in bed 'till the afternoon."

Sarah smirks at the truth in Ahri's statement. "Come on, now. I'm hungry. Let's go make some breakfast." Soraka sits up to let Sarah off the couch. She is about to follow when Sarah motions for her to stop. "It's ok. I can tell you haven't fully recovered. Why don't you close your eyes for a bit longer? Ahri and I will call you when breakfast is ready."

* * *

"It's just a bit of oil," Sarah reassures Ahri as she fries some bacon and eggs.

"Don't care. It scares me." Ahri lifts a pitcher of orange juice to the table, taking a longer path in order to avoid the stove. Her ears perk up nervously at the sound of dancing oil on the frying pan.

"Steamed food is so bland."

"It's healthy. _And_ it doesn't spit oil."

"This is why Ezreal doesn't like your cooking. Too healthy."

"Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, it wouldn't kill to have junk food more often."

"Except it does."

"Not if it's in moderation."

"Hey, Soraka," Ahri and Sarah hear from the kitchen. Ezreal pops his head into the kitchen. "Smells good. Whatcha making?" Yuuto, his familiar glides around the corner and takes a peek as well.

"Bacon 'n eggs on toast," Miss Fortune replies. She slides off a portion onto a plate and hands it to Ezreal. "Here you go. Is Syndra awake?"

"Thanks." He takes the plate and places it at the table. "Syndra's taking a shower."

"Oh okay. I guess she can make something to eat later." Sarah prepares three more plates. "Soraka, breakfast is ready," she calls out.


	6. Chapter 5: A Change of Pace

**A/N:** Sorry for the late updates, guys! I'm trying hard, I swear. There's just a lot to do before the holidays come around. The chapter is a little shorter than I'd like it to be, but I hope you enjoy it in the meantime.

 **Chapter 5: A Change of Pace**

Soraka walks into the kitchen with her hands held behind her back. She approaches Sarah with a mischievous grin as if wanting to tell her something.

"What do you got there?" Sarah asks. A frustrated squeak betrays the surprise. Soraka swings her arms around to reveal Shisa. The little white lion scrunches up it's face in annoyance upon being presented like some child's favorite doll.

"Shisa! I guess this means you've at least recovered enough to summon him." Sarah chuckles. Soraka nods happily and pulls Shisa close to her chest for a hug. The creature pouts, but makes no effort to free itself from her grasp.

Ahri takes her plate of bacon and eggs to the table and sits down next to Soraka. She looks across the table at Ezreal's face to gauge the mood. She catches him frowning at her and they both quickly avert their eyes from one another. Yuuto sits on the table by his master's side. Almost as if acknowledging Ahri and Ezreal's brief exchange, it purrs softly.

"What's the matter, buddy? Are you hungry?" Ahri doubted that Yuuto was complaining of hunger. Ezreal tore off a bit of fried egg and offered it to the feline. He chuckles as Yuuto gently tugs the egg away from his fingers and eats it.

Ezreal wipes off his finger on a napkin and gets up to pour a bowl of kibble for Yuuto and Shisa. "Hey. Where's your pets?" he asks Sarah and Ahri.

Sarah gives Ezreal a tired look before summoning her twin familiars. Boki and Baki laugh mischievously and quickly seize the opportunity to look for some trouble to stir.

"Kiko's still napping." Ezreal's upbeat tone makes her doubt that she saw him glaring a moment ago.

Conversation at the table is extremely ordinary. Most of the conversation is about schoolwork. " _It's almost like yesterday never happened._ " Ahri forces a somewhat convincing laugh at Ezreal's jokes. No one seems to notice.

The unforeseen lightheartedness of the situation leaves Ahri uneasy. " _Isn't this what I wanted though? To pretend yesterday never happened?_ "

"Boki, Baki!" Sarah suddenly yells at the twins. The twins nearly tip over the pitcher of juice, but Sarah braces the jug before it completely topples over. Boki and Baki start pushing each other as if blaming the other for getting caught. "If you want orange juice, just ask." She gets up to get a towel off the counter as well as a few paper cups.

"It's not fair if the others don't get some," Sarah teased. "Yuuto, Shisa, do you want some?"

Yuuto looked to Ezreal as if asking for permission. Ezreal laughed. "He says he'll have a little." Shisa on the other hand, shook his head 'no' and continued staring at Ahri. Everyone followed suit for a moment, wondering why it was doing so. They quickly resumed as normal to draw attention from the fact that they were prying.

Despite the pleasant conversation at the table, Ahri notices that Shisa's angry glare boring into her during the course of the entire meal. She has a clue as to what may be annoying it, but she ignores the possibility for the while.

Ahri reaches over the table to grab the salt shaker next to Soraka. She's met with a low growl from Shisa that startles everyone at the table. Ahri sits back down to avoid being bitten. Shisa glares at Ahri and uses its long whip-like tail to slide the salt to Ahri itself, confirming Ahri's fear: Shisa doesn't trust her to be near Soraka anymore. Ahri looks around the table for her teammate's reactions. Ezreal and Sarah make an effort to avoid eye contact with her.

" _They can pretend yesterday never happened, but it doesn't change the fact that it did."_

A guilty conciliatory racks Ahri and she wonders if the damage she has caused is amendable.

* * *

The weekend passes by suspiciously smoothly with no arguments whatsoever between Ahri and her friends. Ahri debates on whether apologizing to Ezreal is necessary. " _He seems like he's already trying to forgive me,_ " she observes. The fear that Ezreal holds a grudge bags at her, but the time Monday rolls over Ahri has already resumed her usual routine.

"Everyone, up! We have to leave in an hour," Ahri yells down the hallway.

"Five more minutes pleeease!" Ezreal begs. His voice is muffled by the closed doorway.

"No! I let you guys sleep in on the weekends but today we have school," Ahri snaps back.

Ezreal groans and rolls out of bed.

Class is incredibly slow for Ahri today. Never in her life has she been so bored. Ahri forces herself to raise her pen to her notebook. She looks up at the board to see a chunk of sentences hashed together to form a lengthy paragraph. " _There's no way I can copy that down in time,"_ she groans. She drops her pen down on the table in frustration and focuses on solely reading the key words. The teacher changes to the next slide in his presentation. " _What? I wasn't ready."_ She gives up and decides to quit learning for the day. " _Whatever. I can always copy the notes later from some boy anyways."_

As soon as lunch begins, Ahri braces herself for the inevitable. Boys pour in from the classroom doors and immediately start clumping near her and her friends. Some boys nervously watch from the sidelines, hoping that one day they'd be able to muster up enough courage to say 'hello' to their teen dream. Sometimes, like today, Ahri wishes that she had some time alone. People seem to follow wherever she goes whether it be classmates at school, strangers in the street, or her friends at home. Privacy is something only observed in the quiet of her own bedroom.

Ahri scans the room for Ezreal, but he's nowhere in sight. She turns towards Syndra who uncomfortably leans away from an emo kid that is trying to press against her for attention. Ahri can tell it's taking an immense amount of self control out of Syndra not to punch him in the face. The thought is short lived though. Syndra jabs her elbow straight into his gut and the boy falls to the floor, balled up in pain.

"Syndra, have you seen Ezreal?" Ahri asks her.

"For the millionth time..," Syndra snarls. " **Not** his babysitter."

"Sheesh. Just asking!"

"He went to look for Lux," Sarah pipes up from nearby. Soraka sits closely, taking advantage of Sarah's protective side. "Are you going to stop him?" Sarah whispers discretely. Ahri looks down sadly at the floor and thinks about it.

"No," she sighs.

"That's improvement," Sarah smirks.

* * *

Ezreal didn't come home directly after school. He spent the entire weekend avoiding Ahri. He hid in his room, not wanting to start another conflict with his leader. He called Lux's phone several times - no response. He left a short message and she still hadn't replied. And to worry him further, Lux didn't show up to school. Janna, Lux's trusted advisor and senior Star Guardian, kindly informed him that Lux wasn't feeling too well. "She's not sick or in any physical pain," Janna reassured him. "She's just feeling a bit down. Come by tomorrow. She'll probably feel better by then."

Ezreal said farewell to a rock he had been kicking along with him as he wandered aimlessly through Valoran city. " _I didn't even tell Ahri I was leaving_ ," he amused himself. " _She's going to be so angry_." He looked around at the unnerving number of backstreet alleys he could explore. "And worried," he finished his thoughts.

He hesitated for a moment. A trip around the rough side of town could possibly get messy if he encountered some thugs. Messy for the thugs, of course. Still, maybe Ahri is right to worry for him. "I _am_ actively looking for a thrill," he reasoned. He started walking down a random alley, thinking little about the adventure and more about Ahri.


	7. Chapter 6: Breaking Trust

A/N: So sorry, guys! I haven't updated this in ages. I guess the pile of work I've been procrastinating on caught up with me. (That...and I got tangled up in December. I didn't have internet access for ¾ of the month. The torture!) Anyways, I suggest that you reread Chapter 5, just to refresh your memory. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has been reading since the beginning for their patience!

Chapter 6: Breaking Trust

"You've been awfully lenient lately," Sarah casually comments while walking home Thursday after school.

"What makes you say that?" Ahri asks.

"Well you haven't complained about Ezreal sneaking away during lunch and after school."

"Did you apologize to him yet?" Sarah continued.

"No."

"Are you going to?"

Ahri remained silent, earning a disappointed sigh from Sarah. To Ahri's relief, Miss Fortune discontinued the conversation.

* * *

Ezreal nimbly leaped from box to box to vault himself over a chain link fence. The tip of his toe caught the tip of a wire and he began to tumble downward. Quickly, he channeled the momentum and flipped himself upright before landing. Some nearby stray cats who were living in cardboard boxes screeched as they scattered away. Ezreal sighed in relief and brushed off any dirt on his school uniform. Deciding that the accident enhanced his experience, he grinned happily to himself.

"So glad that Ahri hasn't been on me these past few days. It's probably her way of saying sorry."

Ezreal resumes on his adventure, randomly choosing a path as he thought more about the conflicted feelings he felt during the week.

"I'm still pretty annoyed at her," he thought. "I wonder if she'll let me free roam after this whole incident has blown over."

A large, hairy paw clamps down on Ezreal's shoulder. Ezreal jumps forward and turns to take a look at its owner.

"HEY, KID!" A buff man yells at him. "How dare you walk past us." A group of three large men hover behind him. Their bulging muscles and intimidating scowls suggest to Ezreal that the men are not looking for directions. "Didn't you hear us?"

"Oh. Sorry," Ezreal apologizes. He starts slowly backing away. Although he could probably take all of them on, he knew Ahri would give him an earful later if he instigated a fight.

"Where are you going?" a man in the back asked. His ally cracked his knuckles individually. "This is our territory. If you wanna pass though, you gotta pay up. Give us your wallet, kid."

"Huh." Ezreal patted down his pockets facetiously. "Yeah, I don't have my wallet. Can I pay you guys next time?"

"Wise guy, ay?" The man in the back lunged at Ezreal who dodged it easily. "GIVE US YOUR PHONE, THEN" he yelled as he swung another punch. This time it connected, bruising Ezreal's side. Ezreal gritted his teeth and grunted. As if successfully frightening his prey, the man holds out his hand to accept his payment.

Ezreal regains his breath and tosses his school bag aside. "Alright. You asked for it." He growled and held up his fists. The three henchmen responded similarly, letting their leader blend into the background.

Ezreal beats down the three men to the best of his ability. They land some good punches on him which Ezreal returns back and then some. As far as true combat experience goes, Ezreal has the upper hand. Voidlings are far more dangerous than humans. Ezreal pushes the men back with some more punches. He wipes off some blood from the corner of his chin and grinned. This is easy. He could likely take all four of them at once.

"Is that all you got?" Ezreal taunted.

Slowly, their boss walked out of the shadows to join in on the fight. His hands were deep in his pockets. "Don't get cocky," he spit. The leader whipped out a rusty pocket knife. Ezreal's smirk melted.

* * *

Ahri and Syndra sit in the living room together, each working separately on recreational projects. The sun is fast setting despite the early hour. Winter or not, Ahri demands that every member be accounted for by nightfall whether that be in person or by call.

"Have you heard from Ezreal?" Ahri asked Syndra for the third time in thirty minutes.

"Do I look like a nanny?" Syndra responded irritably.

"Not his babysitter. I know, I know!" Ahri checked her phone again. "But Ezreal hasn't responded to any of my calls or texts. I'm just worried."

A heavy knock resounds on the front door. The sound of someone fumbling with the lock is heard.

"That better be him," Ahri huffs and rushes to the door. "He's got some nerve not picking up his phone. Maybe I've been too easy on him." She throws the door open.

Ezreal limps into the room and braces himself against the doorway. His knees knock together, flicking the slowly trickling stream of blood on his legs off onto the kitchen tiles. "Hey," he pants.

Ahri squeaks and looks to Syndra. "Get Soraka," she commands.

"No need," Syndra replies. She points back at the hallway where Soraka has poked her head out of the room. Soraka rushes over to look at the situation.

Ahri helps Ezreal sit down on the kitchen floor. "Where were you? What happened?" Ahri demands. She assists in raising Ezreal's blood-stained shirt over his head and starts inspecting the wounds.

"Syndra, get a towel." Ahri looks over her shoulder. Soraka squeezes past to kneel next to Ahri and Ezreal.

"It's nothing serious. I just fell over some stuff."

"Don't lie to me," Ahri hisses. "No one trips and hurts themselves this badly."

"I don't know," Syndra interjects. "Knowing Ezreal, he probably could." She tosses a damp kitchen towel towards Ahri. It unravels and falls into Ahri's outstretched hand.

"What's the commotion?" Sarah leaves her room to lean over the trio sitting on the floor. "Oh. It's not that bad," she says nonchalantly.

Soraka looks over Ezreal's wounds. A few shallow cuts and scuffs blanket his body. Only one of them, a moderately deep stab to Ezreal's kidney, seems somewhat serious. "The clean cut suggests a sharp object...probably a blade," she thinks to herself while healing it. What worries Soraka more is the numerous bruises covering Ezreal's body. There is no way a fall could bruise him all over. She questioningly looks up to meet his gaze. He arches his eyebrows, hinting for her not to ask. She complies, deciding that letting Ahri know would be problematic.

Ahri wipes some of the excess blood off Ezreal's side. He shudders at the cold touch. Ahri wordlessly goes to rinse off the soiled towel and returns to wipe off the blood from the kitchen tiles.

Ezreal breathes a relaxed sigh as the effects of Soraka's healing take hold. His tensed muscles slacken and fatigue edges in. He closes his eyes and lets his head roll back.

Ahri shakes Ezreal's shoulders. He awakens with a jolt. "I'm fine. Just tired."

"Sorry," she mutters.

Soraka sits down on the floor and exhales after healing all of Ezreal's wounds. "Tired?" Sarah asks her. She shakes her head. After healing Lux's entire team, some bruises are of no challenge to her.

"Thanks, Raka." Ezreal smiles at the mint-haired girl. "I'm gonna take a shower, then head off to bed."

"How about dinner?" Ahri asked.

"I'll skip. I'm pretty tired," he answers, hoping that Ahri will not press further about the matter.

"Okay," she replies. Ezreal takes for granted the unusuality of the situation and hastily retreats back to his room.

"Does anyone know what he's up to after school?" Ahri asks openly. Soraka looks to Sarah who in turn looks to Syndra and makes her the center of attention.

Syndra scowls. "Why me?"

* * *

Ahri rises from bed early the next morning. Her sleep was troubled, but she did manage to get a few hours of rest in. She yawns silently and walks to her wardrobe to pick out her school uniform. Kiko's ears perk up at the sound of the rustling. It arches its back like a cat before floating slowly over to its master.

"Good morning...or that's what I would say," a semi-high pitched voice rings in Ahri's head. Kiko circles around Ahri and speaks telepathically again. "Why so early?" it asks.

"I decided to cook breakfast."

"So early?"

"A big breakfast."

Kiko followed Ahri into the kitchen once her master had finished getting ready for the day. It floated sleepily onto a chair.

A short while after Ahri lit the stove, Sarah left her room to check on the noise. She groggily pulls up a chair and sits at the dining table, watching Ahri cook from behind.

"Morning, captain," she mumbled. Sarah slumped her head against her hand, resting her tired eyes.

"Sorry. Did I wake you?" Ahri apologize.

"Hmm? Nah," Miss Fortune lied. Ahri did wake her, but it was her decision to get out of bed to see what she was up to. Ahri vaults away from some popping oil. "Do you want some help with that?" Sarah perked her head up.

"Yes, please," Ahri says embarrassedly.


End file.
